Selectively positionable sign



May 10, 1966 G. E. VON GAL, JR., ETAL 3,250,032

SELECTIVELY POSITIONABLE SIGN Filed Dec. 7, 1964 INVENTOR. GEORGE E. VON GAL, .JR. GEORGE H. OWENS BY CHARLES E. AL ANDER United States Patent 3,250,032 SELECTIVELY POSITIONABLE SIGN George E. von Gal, Jr., George H. Owens, and Charles E. Alexander, all of R0. Box 1241, Montgomery, Ala. Filed Dec. 7, 1964, Ser. No. 416,261 2 Claims. (Cl. 40-145) This invention relates to selectively positionable signs. While certain features of the invention may be broadly applicable to various types of signs, directional indicators, traflic warnings or the like, the invention is here presented in the form of a revolvable roadway sign, such as may be used at the driveways of schools, churches, theatres and shopping centers to provide warnings at ingress and egress roadways during periods of peak activity and which may be revolved to a non displayed position or to a position of differing instruction during other periods.

While changeable, movable or revolvable signs and indicators for various purposes have heretofore been proposed, it is among the objects of the present invention to provide a novel and improved rotatable indicator of simple, eflicient and effective construction and one well designed to meet the demands of economic manufacture.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a sign construction of the character referred to which may be quickly and easily installed-by unskilled labor and without the requirements of special tools and equipment in its installation.

A further object is to provide a construction for the purpose stated which may be readily assembled and disassembled whereby the indicating portion of the device may be readily removed when use is not required, and stored during vacations, holidays or like protracted periods. 1

A further object of the present invention is to provide a device of the character set forth in which the desired orientation of the sign may be maintained and secured in its desired orientation in such manner as to prevent unauthorized movement thereof from selected indicating position, or disassembly thereof.

Numerous other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from consideration of the following specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of one form of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded view illustrating the individual parts of the device arranged in position for assembly.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken on-line 33 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a view illustrating a tool for and the manner of inserting the ground socket of the device into the ground.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, the present form of the invention will be seen to include a ground socket which may be driven into the ground in suitable manner, as by the tapper illustrated in FIG. 5, or which may .be embedded in concerete or in any other suitable manner securely anchored in a fixed vertical position with an upwardly extending projecting exposed end 11. For permanency, strength, durability and economy in material, the ground socket 10 is preferably formed of conventional rolled, extruded or pressed steel, iron or aluminum fence post material. One currently popular configuration of such material is formed with projecting parallel side flanges 12 between which there is provided a body 14 of trapezoidal configuration in cross section to include side walls 15 converging into a perforate rear wall 16 in parallel relation to the coplanar side flanges 12. It will of course be understood that the present concept is not necessarily restricted to post material of the specific nature as shown and described. However, since such material is readily and economically available in such lengths as desired, it is here elected for the purpose of illustration.

With the ground socket 10 positioned firmly in vertical position with the upper end 11 protruding, the shank 18 of a lower, relatively permanent post element is inserted into the upper end 11 of the ground socket 10. The shank 18 is preferably of conforming trapezoidal cross sectional configuration to-fit within the body 14.

At its upper end, the lower post element is provided with a projecting flange 20 which is formed integrally, or permanently secured as by welding, at the top of the shank 18. The trapezoidal shank 18 is fitted into the similar recess of the body 14 of the ground socket 10 to extend above the top of its upper end 11 at such suitable distance as to space the flange 20 in ready access above the ground. The shank 18 is secured in position within the ground socket 1.0 by a suitable 'bolt or bolts 21 extending through the apertures 22 of the wall 16 and into the internally threaded bore 24 of the shank.

It is, of course, contemplated that the lower post element may be assembled within the ground socket 10 prior to securement of member 10 in the ground. The Weighted tapper may be employed in driving the empty ground socket 10 into the ground or after the shank 18 is inserted,

as ,in FIG. 5. The tapper includes a weighted head 24 with an integral shank 25; and, to drive the ground socket 10 into the. ground with the lower post element bolted thereto, the socket 25 is inserted into the axial cylindrical bore 26 of the shank 18 to guide the tapper in vertical striking movements against the flange 20. Thus, by raising and dropping the tapper, the assembled ground socket and lower post element will be driven into the ground.

In operative assembly, the cylindrical bore 26 of the shank 18 receives the depending cylindrical guide bar 27 of an intermediate post support. At its upper end the guide bar 27 includes a flange 28 and an upwardly projecting stud 29 preferably of a cross-sectional angular configuration matching the configuration of shank 18 of the lower post element. As will be noted, the flange 20 of the lower post element is provided with an aperture 30, while the flange 28 of the intermediate post support is provided with a multiple of similar apertures 31. The arrangement is such that upon orientation of the upper flange 28 with respect to the fixed lower flange 20' by rotation of bar 27 in bore 26, any selected aperture 31 may be brought into registration with the aperture 30 of the flange 20. A releasable securing member, such as a padlock 32, may be inserted through the registered apertures to preclude unauthorized rotation between the flanges.

While for present purposes the arrangement of the apertures of the upper flange 28 of the lower post supporting member may be three in number as shown, and angularly spaced with respect to the-axis of the central shaft at whereby the sign hereinafter described may be arranged to move from one facing position to a facing position of right angles thereto or to a position from the first facing position, obviously, the arrangement of the apertures may provide for other selected angular relations of rotation. It may also be noted that, in providing for securement of selective angularity of the sign to the fixed socket, unauthorized disassembly is also precluded.

Fixedly secured as by bolts 34 to extend vertically from stud 29 is the lower end 37 of the upper length of post or main body 33 similar in configuration to the ground socket 10 and thus readily and economically available. As with the ground socket, the post 33 is here shown as' formed with the side flanges 12 with converging side walls 15 and perforate rear wall 16. The lower end 32 thus readily fits over the stud 29 to be secured by the bolts 34. At the extreme upper end of the post 33 there is secured as by bolts 36 a generally flat signboard 38 engaging 3 against front outer faces of the flanges 12 of the upper end of the post 33.

In erecting the present sign, the ground socket may be driven vertically into the ground as by the tapper either before or after the attachment of the lower post element. In attaching the lower post element to the socket, it will be seen that since its shank 18 is trapezoidal to conform with the trapezoidal body 14 of the socket, an inter-fitting relationship is established to provide a rigid union. Permanency of securement is obtained by the bolt or bolts 21. With the united socket 10 and lower post element in position, the round guide bar 27 of the intermediate post support is inserted into the round bore 26 of the lower post element. In assembly the flange 28 will rest upon the flange 20. The latter acts as a stop limiting insertion of the guide bar 27 but permits free relative rotation of the guide bar and hence the intermediate post support. With the intermediate post support in position, the lower end of the post 33 is fitted over the conforming stud 29 and secured by bolts 34. As indicated, the signboard 38 is secured by bolts 36 to the upper end of the post 33.

By this arrangement it will be seen that the sign post 33 and its signboard 38 may be rotated with respect to the fixed ground socket 10 and intermediate post support. The padlock 32 not only retains the disk of the lower post element and of the intermediate post support in elected relative position but further precludes unauthorized disassembly therebetween.

The structure thus set forth will be seen to be not only easily erected, but simple, rigid and sturdy. Simplicity of structure as well as standardization of interfitting parts provides substantial economy of manufacture.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many variations may be made in the embodiments chosen for the purpose of illustrating the present invention without departing from the scope thereof as defined by the appended claims.

What is claimedas invention is:

1. A sign including a ground socket formed of sign post material characterized by an inner configuration of irregular cross section, a lower post element including a shank of similar irregular cross section fitted within said socket to be secured against rotation with respect thereto an intermediate post support rotatably mounted in said lower post element, a stud on said intermediate post support of irregular cross section conforming with the cross section of said inner configuration of said post material of said socket, and a sign post formed of the same sign post material and having the same inner configuration of irregular cross-section as said socket fitted over said stud of said intermediate sign post support.

2. A sign including a ground socket formed of sign post material characterized by an inner configuration of irregular cross section, a lower post element including a shank of similar irregular cross section fitted within said socket to be secured against rotation with respect thereto, an intermediate post support rotatably mounted in said lower post element, a stud on said intermediate post support of irregular cross section conforming with the cross section of said inner configuration of said post material of said socket, anda sign post formed of the same sign post material and having the same inner configuration of irregular cross-section as said socket fitted over said stud of said intermediate sign post support, together with releasable means for securing lower post element and said intermediate post support in predetermined rotational relationship.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 391,198 10/1888 Saxon et a1 189-28 870,696 11/ 1907 Stetler 18928 1,502,342 7/1924 Lucas 18928 1,668,486 5/1928 Betts 40-145 X 1,799,314 4/ 1931 Pfaff 189-28 1,805,095 5/1931 Horni 40--145 2,123,329 7/1938 Combs et al. 40145 X 2,849,528 8/1958 Dutton 287112 2,879,092 3/ 1959 Hargrove et al. 278129 2,950,787 8/1960 Walsh 40145 X 3,091,997 6/1963 Byrd 941.5

EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

LAWRENCE CHARLES, Examiner.

SHELDON M. BENDER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A SIGN INCLUDING A GROUND SOCKET FORMED OF SIGN POST MATERIAL CHARACTERIZED BY AN INNER CONFIGURATION OF IRREGULAR CROSS SECTION, A LOWER POST ELEMENT INCLUDING A SHANK OF SIMILAR IRREGULAR CROSS SECTION FITTED WITHIN SAID SOCKET TO BE SECURED AGAINST ROTATION WITH RESPECT THERETO AN INTERMEDIATE POST SUPPORT ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID LOWER POST ELEMENT, A STUD ON SAID INTERMEDIATE POST SUPPORT OF IRREGULAR CROSS SECTION CONFORMING WITH THE CROSS SECTION OF SAID INNER CONFIGURATION OF SAID POST MATERIAL OF SAID SOCKET, AND A SIGN POST FORMED OF THE SAME SIGN POST 